Ryan Zimmerman out of a unique Nationals lineup

Third baseman Ryan Zimmerman is not in today's starting lineup after leaving last night's game with some kind of cramp/strain in his right hamstring. Zimmerman's absence is only part of a very different Nationals lineup.

Cristian Guzman will start in right field for the first time and Josh Willingham will sit out for the first time this year. Willie Harris is batting third, something he has never done to start a game in 473 career starts. Harris may be hitting .192, but he has a .333 on-base percentage and he's slugging .500. If the Nationals beat Ubaldo Jimenez, who threw a no-hitter his last time out, with this lineup, I'm asking Jim Riggleman for stock tips.

Also, this is truly a pitching matchup to get pumped about. Jimenez may be the pitcher currently in the majors whose arsenal most closely resembles that of Stephen Strasburg, and he threw a no-hitter the last time out. Livan Hernadez has a 0.00 ERA. This is the second time in the past 90 seasons that a pitcher coming of a no-hitter opposed a pitcher coming off a shutout.

Willie Harris v. Jimenez in his career; 4 for 6 with a double, a triple and three RBI. Riggleman has been pushing a lot of the correct buttons so far this season. Hopefully having Harris in the three hole will be another one.

The other game was the Marlins at the Cubs, May 17, 1996. Marlins was coming off a no-hitter, Cubs was coming off a 2-hit shutout. The Cubs came out on top by a score of 3-1. The manager for the Cubs was none other than Riggles.

Nice work, le_hung41! Thx
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Sec3,
The other game was the Marlins at the Cubs, May 17, 1996. Marlins was coming off a no-hitter, Cubs was coming off a 2-hit shutout. The Cubs came out on top by a score of 3-1. The manager for the Cubs was none other than Riggles.
Posted by: le_hung41 | April 22, 2010 1:52 PM

The other game was the Marlins at the Cubs, May 17, 1996. Marlins was coming off a no-hitter, Cubs was coming off a 2-hit shutout. The Cubs came out on top by a score of 3-1. The manager for the Cubs was none other than Riggles.

Posted by: le_hung41 | April 22, 2010 1:52 PM |

Now that is amazing. Hope the results are the same as in 1996 with Riggles taking the "W"!!!!!!!!

Section220, great tip on that Baseball Prospectus article. Here's another damning section: "One scout called him among the worst amateur players he's ever seen from a makeup standpoint, with top-of-the-scale arrogance, a disturbingly large sense of entitlement, and on-field behavior that includes taunting opponents. "He's just a bad, bad guy," said one front-office official. "He's basically the anti-Joe Mauer.""

That has to worry the Nats, at least it should. Being a jerk on the field or in the clubhouse isn't necessarily a bad thing (see Bonds, Barry), although you'd better be really damn good to make it worth putting up with you.

On the other hand, if you're a jerk off the field, that can lead to real, career-changing problems (see Roethlisberger, Ben, or Strawberry, Darryl, or Gooden, Dwight). Or you become Josh Hamilton, who, from all indications, was a decent kid who made bad decisions and wasted years of his career and almost blew it all. How many other Josh Hamiltons never get a second chance at a career?

If his attitude is as bad as reported here, I would be very hesitant to pick him. Maybe we could see some reporting on this from the Post (cough-Sheinin-cough-Boswell).

He's been throwin' loopy curves since he was only five.
Now forty-two years later he's still got the drive.
Off-season racquetball has kept him in the Bigs,
But his head's too large for silver Elvis wigs.
Livan.